A homemade sweet and sour sauce coats every inch of these juicy sweet and sour meatballs that cook up with colorful peppers and sweet pineapple all in one pan.
I’ve got one pan full of color heading your way today! This is the kind of meatball dinner everyone needs on their rotation and yep, don’t even ask, it’s got a firm spot on mine these days.
Sweet and sour chicken is one of those meals that I sometimes forget about but I had a HUGE craving out of the blue for it the other day and happened to have some ground beef thawed…
Boom, the most gorgeous pan of sweet and saucy meatballs were born and I knew y’all needed this goodness.
These Meatballs Feature…
- Juicy seared beef meatballs
- Tender sweet peppers and pineapple tidbits
- A flavorful homemade sweet and sour sauce
Making the Meatballs
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Pineapple juice
- Honey
- Rice wine vinegar
- Ketchup
- Soy sauce
- Cornstarch
- Ground beef
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Egg
- Garlic
- Vegetable oil
- Sweet peppers
- Green onions
- Pineapple
Tips for Perfect Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Make a homemade sweet and sour sauce – the sauce is very easy to make from scratch and is composed of pineapple juice, honey, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, and a cornstarch slurry.
- Cut sweet pepper into uniform cubes – aim for 1/2-inch cubes so the peppers cook evenly.
- Pan sear meatballs – you can use a large stainless steel or nonstick pan. Sear the meatballs in vegetable oil over medium-high heat until lightly browned.
- Reduce heat to medium to finish cooking – once the meatballs are browned, reduce heat to medium and continue tossing around pan another few minutes until meatballs register 165F.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these meatballs.
- Use ground turkey or chicken – simply swap out the beef for chicken or turkey. The cook time will be around the same.
- Swap out veggies – you can use zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, snow peas, or any other stir fry-friendly vegetable in place of the broccoli.
- Try another fruit – try mango or peaches in place of the pineapple.
- Make it spicy – add a few dashes of sriracha or red pepper flakes for a little heat.
Serving Suggestions
These meatballs are great served with steamed white rice, brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice as a base. Top meatballs with extra sliced green onions on top for serving.
These meatballs really are the perfect balance between sweet and savory with that incredible tangy sweet and sour sauce, savory beef meatballs, and all those colorful sweet peppers and pineapple tidbits.
Don’t blame me when this becomes the most-requested weeknight dinner in your house!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Try these other skillet meatball dinners next!
Sweet and Sour Meatballs and Peppers
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Ingredients
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 teaspoons water
Meatballs and Peppers
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 4 medium cloves garlic, minced and divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 medium sweet peppers, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 small bunch green onions, green parts cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup pineapple tidbits
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Steamed rice and additional sliced green onions for serving
Instructions
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Set aside for a moment.
Meatballs and Peppers
- In a large bowl, combine beef, panko, egg, 2 cloves minced garlic, salt, and pepper until evenly combined. Scoop mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a clean plate.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, add vegetable oil and swirl pan to evenly coat. Add meatballs to pan and sear on all sides, turning occasionally with a tongs until meatballs are golden brown. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking meatballs, turning occasionally until meatballs register 165F. Transfer meatballs to a clean plate and set aside
- Drain all but about 1 tablespoon drippings from pan and set back over medium-high heat. Add peppers to pan and sauté over medium-high heat until peppers are crisp-tender, about 2-4 minutes. Add remaining mincedgarlic and green onion and cook 1-2 additional minutes until fragrant.
- Add meatballs, pineapple, and sweet and sour sauce to peppers and cook 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat until sauce is slightly thickened and coating meatballs and peppers. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste if needed.
- Serve meatballs and peppers warm with steamed rice and additional green onions on top. Enjoy!
David Barnes says
I am a 65 year old retired man, who has taken over the cooking for my wife and myself while she still works. I found this recipe to be extremely easy to make, delicious and very filling. My wife loved it as did I.
Sarah says
I’m so happy to hear you both loved these meatballs, David! Thanks for reporting back. 🙂